Automatic generator regulator



March 27, 1934 H. s. DE r-/|A| Aussa|-1E AUTOMATIC GENERATOR REGULATORFiled April 6, 1932 Patented Mar. 27, 19,34 .1,952,791

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC GENERATOR REGULATOR Henri S. deMalaussene, Santa Monica, Calif., as-

signor to Adolph L. Bernheimer, Santa Monica, Calif.

Application April 6, 1932, Serial No. 603,614

2 Claims. (Cl. 171-313) The present invention relates to an automaticthe resistance to increase the output of the gengenerator regulator andmore specically to a erator', thereby maintaining the samesubstanregulator which is adapted to automatically contially Constant.trol the generator output current of a motor ve- In the accompanyingdrawing, forming a part 5 hicle. of this application and in winch likenumerals I(l0 In the construction of motor vehicles it is the areemployed to designate like parts throughout general practice to drivethe generator which the same, supplies the battery with its chargingcurrent, Figure 1 is an electrical diagram of connection from the enginethereof. The generators are illustrating the manner in which thevariable usually of the three brush type and the eld resistance isconnected in the shunt field and 65 regulating brush is usually adjustedto a posiin which the electrical contact is controlled by' tion whichwill supply at the average rate of means of the magnets which have theirwindspeed of the engine a charge to the battery of ings connected inseries with the output circuit, about amperes. Considerable diiilculty,how- Figue 2 is a curve in which the ampere out- 15 ever, has beenencountered due to the fact that put is plotted against the miles perhour of the 70 A a constant output current is not maintained ordinarygenerator now in use,

and the battery thereof does not receive suiii- Figure 3 is a curve inwhich the ampere outcient charge for the reason that the output of putis plotted against the miles per hour of the the generator decreaseswhen the motor depresent invention.

creases in speed Ywhile idling and when driving In the drawing whereinfor the purpose o! il- 75 through trafc or the like. lustration is showna preferred embodiment oi.' This is especially true now that themajority the invention, the numeral 2 generally designates of motorvehicles are equipped with free wheelthe commutator of a generator whichis usuallyl ing and consequently when the motor is'idling installed asstandard equipment in a motor vethe output of the generator decreasesand the hicle and which is driven by the mOtOr thereof. 80 battery doesnot receive suflicient charging cur- The generator is provided with ashunt eld 4 rent. i K l which is connected through a conductor 6 to oneIt is one of the objects ofl the present invenof the output brushes 8 ofthe generator and has tion to provide an automatic regulating device itsother terminal connected in series with a vawhich will maintaintheoutput current of the riable resistance 8 and the ileld regulatingbrush 85 generator substantially constant at low and high 10 of thegenerator through the conductors 12 and speeds and consequently increasethe life of the 14. battery. 1 A A make and break switch which consistsof Another important. object of the invention is a stationary contact 16mounted on a support 18 to provide a regulating device which may beadand a resiliently mounted armature 20 mounted 90 v juste'd to obtainan output current of any value, on a support 22 and having `a contact 24on one depending upon the vsize of the generator and end thereof adaptedto associate with the stathe current consumed by the car and itsaccestionary contact 16, is connected in shunt with the sories. Yvariable resistance 8 4through a conductor 26 40 The inventioncontemplates the provision of a which is connected to one terminal ofthe re- 95 variable resistance which is connected in series sistance anda conductor 30 which is connected with the shunt eld of a three brushgenerator to the variable switch arm 32 of the variable rewhich isusually driven by the engine of the sistance. motor vehicle. Anelectrical make and break The opening and closing of the associatedeleccontact is connected in shunt with the variable trical contacts 16and 24 is controlled by means 100 4resistance and is controlled by meansof a magof a pair of magnets which are provided with a net which has itswinding connected in series support 34 having thereon a pair of spacedcores 'withthe battery and the output brushes of the 36 and 38 of softiron and windings 40 and 42 Y generator, to the end that upon anincrease in which are connected in-series by means of the Speed of hemotor the generator output is inconductor 44. The magnets are disposeddirect- 105 creased and the make and break switch is mainly beneath thearmature 20 and the windings 40 tained in its open position by themagnet and and 42 are connected in series with the output upona decreasein speed the output of the genbrushes 8 and 46 and the battery 48through conerator consequently decreases, permitting the ductors 50, 52and 6.

`- make and break switchto close and shorten out The associatedelectrical contacts 16 and 24 110 are normally held in closed positionby means of the resiliently mounted arm 20 and the windings 40 and 42are of'sufiicient strength so that upon the generator reaching apredetermined speed and consequently a predetermined output current, themagnetic flux will overcome the tension of the resilient armature 20opening the associated electrical contacts 16 and 24 permitting thecurrent to flow through the variable resistance 8 which has beenadjusted to give substantially the same output current of the generator.

When installing the devise the eld regulating brush 10 is set to thefull output of the generator which in most motor vehicles is about 20amperes. The-resistance 8 is then adjusted until the ammeter reads about15 amperes which is a safe charging" rate when the contacts 16 and 24are open and the engine of the motor vehicle is running at high speeds.The' windings 40 and 42 which are in series with the battery and theout-l put terminals of the generator are of sufcient strength to movethe armature to a position in which the contacts 16 and 24 are out ofengagement when the motor vehicle is running at an average or high rateof speed and the battery is receiving its normal charge.

Upon a decrease in speed of the motor or when the same is idling, thecharging current will decrease and consequently the magnetic ux createdby the series windings 40 and 42 will not be suiicient to hold thearmature and maintain the contacts in open position, but will permitthem to close and thereby shorten out the resistance 8 thus permittingmore current to ow through the ileld which will, in turn, bring thegenerators output up to a maximum output or charging rate at slow speed.

Figure 2 is a curve illustrating the output charging current of theordinary generator which is not equipped with the present regulatingmeans. As is clearly illustrated in this curve, when the motor vehicleis running at slow speeds and consequently driving the generator at aslow speed, say for example, 10 miles per hour, there is no outputcurrent and the generator does not provide a suilicient output chargingcurrent to the battery until the motor vehicle has reached a speed ofsubstantially 25 to 30 miles per hour.

In Figure 3 there is shown a curve in which the ampere output current isplotted against the miles per hour of the vehicle which drives thegenerator. It will be seen from this curve that the normal outputcharging current of 15 amperes is reached at the usual idling speed of10 miles per hour and from a speed of 10 to 35 miles per hour, theoutput of 15 amperes is substantially constant.

Thevvariable resistance 32 enables the output of the generator to be setsubstantially at any output value. If so desired, the control mechanismcontrolling the actuation of the electrical switch for shortening outthe Variable resistance It will thus be seen that the contacts 16 and 24will open and close depending upon the output of the generator and thatthe variable resistance may be so adjusted as to maintain any outputdesired thereby enabling the motor vehicle to idle 80 and still supplythe battery with a charging current. It is obvious that the regulatorwill not only supply the battery with a charging current at slow speed,but will also prevent the generator from burning out at high speed.

If so desired, the electrical switching mechanism for shunting out thevariable resistance may be included within the housing covering thegenerator or may be secured as a separate unit thereto.

While there is shown only one embodiment of the invention in theaccompanying drawing, it is capable of various changes and modificationswithout departing from the spirit and scope thereof and it is thereforeto be understood that only such limitations shall be imposed thereon asare indicated in the prior art or in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A regulating device for a third brush motor vehicle generator havinga predetermined third brush adjustment, adapted to charge the battery ofthe motor vehicle comprising a eld, a variable resistance, one terminalof the iield beingconnected to one of the brushes of the generator, theother eld terminal being connected to one terminal of the resistance,the other terminal of the resistance being connected to the third brush,whereby the third brush may be positioned at its maximum output positionand the field cur- 'rent regulated by adjusting the variable resistance,a make-and-break switch connected in shunt with said `resistance and amagnet for actuating the make-and-break switch having windings includedin series between the output terminals of the generator and the battery.

' 2. A regulating device for a third brush motor vehicle generatoradapted to charge the battery of the motor vehicle, comprising a field,a resistance, one terminal of the ileld being connected to one of thebrushes of the generator, the other eld terminal being connected to oneterminal of the resistance, the other terminal of the resistance beingconnected to the third brush, the third brush being positioned at itsmaximum output position, a make-and-break switch connected in shunt withsaid resistance, and a magnet for actuating the make-and-break switchhaving windings included in series between the output terminals ofthegenerator and the battery, said resistance being of a value to give thedesired third brush regulation when said resistance is eilective.

HENRI s. m: MALAUssEN.

may be included-within the generator, the same Y being built as a singleunit.

